This March, the CMC Model United Nations team attended the annual WorldMUN conference, held in Singapore. Model United Nations provides students an opportunity to discuss current global issues through an educational simulation of the United Nations. With nearly 2,500 delegates from over 60 countries present, WorldMUN is an impressive, multi-cultural gathering. The conference allows students to put aside their own perspective, and take on the position of a completely different nation, preparing them to be better global citizens.
The conference spanned five days with over 30 hours of time working in committee. The CMC delegation was led by Shaun Khubchandani '11 and Cassandra Gurrola '11, who spent over six months selecting a team and preparing for the trip. Nathan Doctor '11, Elizabeth Schmitz Robinson '11, Andrew Grim '11, Ajay Sridhar '12, Paul Jeffrey '12, Daniel Shane '13, and Ankit Sud '14 were selected to join the team in October, which then met weekly to prepare for their respective committee assignments. This year the topics for debate ranged from Narcoterrorism in the Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC) to Apartheid in the Historical General Assembly. In all, Claremont was represented in six different committees, including coveted places in the Historical Security Council, the Press Corps, and the Organization of Islamic States.
WorldMUN allows students to gather a variety of perspectives on various international issues, and serves as a phenomenal experience for anyone interested in becoming a citizen of the world. "For one week I was able to play the role of Qatar on the Historical Security Council, while debating the situation in Cote d'Ivoire with Venezuelans representing the United Kingdom, and students from the United Arab Emirates representing the United States," comments Sridhar 12.
Over the past few years CMC has established itself as a strong competitor in the Model UN community. This year's performance has proven that reputation well founded. Out of six committees, CMC won accolades in three, and Khubchandani, Sridhar, Gurrola and Jeffrey received individual awards for outstanding performances in their respective committees. This marks Claremont's best performance to date, though by no means the college's first taste of success. The team is determined to perform even better in upcoming years. After the Singapore competition, the team was ranked 23rd in the Best College Model UN TeamsWorld Division by bestdelegate.com.
"This was a great way for CMC to assert themselves as one of the most powerful small delegations in World Model UN. We are hoping this will allow us to increase funding in the coming years and provide an opportunity to secure the award for the best large international delegation", said Khubchandani shortly after the awards ceremonies. "Not only does WorldMUN provide a phenomenal opportunity for students, but is a great opportunity for CMC to build its global presence."
While in Singapore, the team took the opportunity to explore the city and learn about its unique political culture. The conference's opening remarks included a speech by Singapore's Minister of Foreign Affairs, George Yong-Boon Yeo, who presented an analysis of the current international community from the perspective of a small, yet developed nation-state. Singapore provided an interesting venue for the conference, standing at a unique crossroads in international affairs. CMC students took time on the trip to meet alumni in Sinagpore at a reception sponsored by CMCAA. The team would also like to thank the Office of the President, along with all the other on-campus sponsors for making the trip possible.
Paul Jeffrey '12